Is your website truly serving your organization?
It’s critical to pinpoint exactly what actions you would like your users to take when they reach your site. A beautifully designed website is not going to do any good unless it entices potential customers to take action, or funnels them through a process which eventually converts to leads or sales (or donations, sponsorships, and event registrations for non-profit organizations).
When it comes to conversion, begin with the end in mind. Defining this will make your goals clearer, and help you determine exactly what actions you want the user to take as they progress through each stage of your website. Is a conversion considered someone who fills out a contact form? Someone who signs up for a newsletter? Signs up for a workshop or event? Makes a purchase or donation? Clearly define your starting point and you’ll have a much easier time adjusting your conversion goals accordingly.
- Write a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA) – Your call-to-action must be compelling and eye-catching. The CTA is the difference between conversions and bounce: any step you take will either convert your visitors into potential customers, or send them away and increase your bounce rate. A call-to-action can be brief. A strong sentence or two about the value your potential customer will get out of taking action followed by a button that simply says “Sign Up”, “Join the Movement”, “Get Your Free Quote Now” is much more compelling than a button which simply states “Submit”.
- Include a Contact Number in a Prominent Location – Your website’s header is a great place for this, especially if you are in a service industry where you want to make it a breeze for potential customers to get in touch with you.
- Place a Lead Generation Form Above the Fold – Whether you have a contact form, quote form, or signup for a free newsletter or webinar it is critical for conversion to place it in a location where users will see it clearly. Ideally the form is placed in a spot on the homepage and subpages which can be seen without scrolling.
- Add Testimonials for Credibility – Testimonials really do secure a potential customer’s trust. Testimonials on their own can be a powerful marketing tool, but adding photos or even video or audio can take them a step further.
- Whitespace is Your Friend – Whitespace (also known as negative space) can make a big impact. Rather than striving to fill up every empty area on a page, give your content, photos and call to action (CTA) buttons some breathing room. A lot of extras on the page will end up only serving as a distraction to your customers, and lowering your conversion rates as a result.
To summarize, in order to convert page visitors to potential customers or customers, be direct and give your visitor a clear path to their destination. Don’t confuse their journey with a cluttered navigation path, or offer so many calls-to-action that they don’t know where to click.
One final consideration is that not all users land on the homepage. It is important to embed these features on your subpages, either by making them prominent in the header or footer, or by optimizing your sidebar to house CTA (call to action) buttons and copy.